The Story of Persephone - Part 2
Near Mount Etna, a group of beautiful nymphs and goddesses were playing a game of catch. Among them was a goddess born of the union between Demeter, the goddess of the earth, and Zeus, the king of the gods.
"Laughing! Throw it this way!"
"Kore, catching it with flowers is cheating!"
"So what? You can use your powers too!"
The goddess, who appeared to be in her early twenties with radiant golden hair and an appearance reminiscent of a blooming flower, spoke up.
"Sigh... I think my mother sees me as too fragile."
"Does the goddess of the earth think that?"
Her formal name was Persephone, though she was often called by her nickname, Kore.
"Yes! Every time I go out to play, she tells me to be wary of monsters, to beware of the Gigantes... It’s exhausting!"
"It’s clear that Goddess Demeter loves you very much, Kore."
As the goddess of spring and seeds, she was playing with the nymphs when she suddenly tilted her head, a puzzled expression on her face.
"Hmm? Do you hear that sound?"
"Is it the sound of birds?"
"I can hear the refreshing sound of water flowing in the forest..."
Though the other nymphs and lesser deities didn’t notice anything unusual, she, as the daughter of Zeus and Demeter, could sense it.
A powerful vibration, resonating from deep underground.
BOOM! ROAR!
Suddenly, monstrous creatures with the lower bodies of serpents and the upper bodies of humans emerged from the earth a short distance away. They were the Gigantes, the fearsome enemies of the gods.
"Kyaaa! Monsters appeared out of nowhere!"
"G-Gigantes?!"
"Oh, Zeus, help us!"
The appearance of these large, terrifying creatures threw the nymphs into a panic.
But there was no time to panic. The Gigantes were not few in number; they were emerging in droves from the ground.
CRASH. RUMBLE...
The nymphs tried to flee, but they soon found themselves surrounded. The Gigantes had them completely encircled, their monstrous eyes fixed on their prey.
"Hahaha! Are these the creations of the gods? They look delicious!"
"That blonde one looks like a goddess. Let’s take her!"
"Don’t forget, our goal is to dig up our brother buried beneath this mountain!"
"Then, brothers! Kill all the witnesses and let’s tear down Mount Etna!"
Terrified by the ghastly conversation of the monsters, the nymphs froze in fear. How could they hope to stand against such powerful creatures, each of whom rivaled lesser gods or mortal heroes?
"Take this!"
RUSTLE—
"Cough! Cough! Is this poison?!"
"What is this? Is that... a divine power? We need to take down that goddess first—"
"Ugh...! The plants are binding us..."
Only a goddess could possibly hope to stand against them.
As golden pollen spread from Persephone’s hand, the Gigantes were unable to suppress their coughing. Flowers and plants rapidly sprouted from the ground, binding the monsters.
"Kore!"
"Zeus, please help us!"
This was the power of the goddess of spring.
Although Persephone’s powers over spring and seeds were not suited for combat, she was, after all, the daughter of Demeter and Zeus, giving her considerable divine strength.
"Didn’t know there was a goddess who could control poison and plants."
"Ha! She’s just one."
"It’s not poison; it’s pollen, you monsters!"
But the Gigantes were formidable foes.
Even though Persephone’s divine power was second only to the Twelve Olympians, there were hundreds of Gigantes emerging from the ground.
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"Peloreus! Let’s tear down Mount Etna before Olympus realizes what’s happening."
"Thoas, you worry too much."
"Heh! If those Olympians show up, I’ll kill them all myself!"
"Be cautious, Pallas. Zeus might be watching."
Among the Gigantes were four commanders, each comparable to or slightly weaker than the Twelve Olympians.
Persephone was in grave danger.
BOOM!
While many of the Gigantes began tearing apart Mount Etna, others surrounded Persephone and the nymphs. The monsters advanced slowly, mocking their prey.
"Hahaha. I want to hear you scream."
"W-What do we do...? Kyaa!"
"Save us! Goddess Demeter, please! Aah!"
The nymphs around Persephone were being devoured or torn apart by the Gigantes. No matter how fiercely Persephone fought, she was alone, and the monsters were overwhelmingly numerous.
"I’ll take care of that goddess."
"Pallas, are you planning to have all the fun to yourself?"
"Hahaha! If you’ve got a problem, come and challenge me."
"Sigh... Tch."
Persephone gritted her teeth, forcing herself to draw out more of her divine power. She tried to hinder them by making plants grow, scattering pollen, or infusing her blows with divine energy.
But the Gigantes, particularly the one called Pallas, were far too powerful. He could indeed rival the Twelve Olympians.
Even if her mother, Demeter, came to her aid, she would not be able to overcome all these monsters.
SLITHER—
The Gigantes in front of her loosened its grip and advanced slowly, his serpentine lower body moving eerily as he closed in on the goddess.
"Have you already given up, goddess?"
"My father is Zeus, and my mother is the goddess Demeter! All of you will die miserable deaths! I, Persephone, swear it!"
"What’s this? A curse?"
Even a curse that could destroy an entire city with a single word was useless. For the first time in her life, Persephone, daughter of Zeus and Demeter, felt utterly powerless.
The monster was already at her side, lifting her by the throat.
"Grrr..."
She could offer no resistance. Her divine power was entirely depleted, and she was so exhausted that her ichor—the golden blood of the gods—poured from her wounds, staining the ground beneath her.
THUD-THUD-THUD-THUD...
She, who had been born into a life of luxury and privilege with a golden lineage that everyone envied, was now about to be defeated by a grotesque monster.
"Looks like you’re a young goddess. Curse your fate."
WHOOSH—
As Persephone clenched her eyes shut, bracing herself for the impending pain, she felt an odd sensation at her side.
A firm yet gentle hand pulled her close.
'What?'
SPLAT—
When Persephone cautiously opened her eyes, she saw the gruesome sight of a Gigantes’ head crushed beyond recognition.
"Are you alright?"
Standing before her, lifting her into his chariot, was a dark-haired, dark-eyed god.
It didn’t take long for her to recognize the god who had saved her from certain death. His overwhelming presence far surpassed that of her mother, Demeter, one of the Twelve Olympians.
In fact, the only god she knew who could rival Zeus, the king of the gods, in strength was this dark-haired god.
'The Lord of the Underworld, Hades...'
As the surrounding monsters rushed at them in rage over their fallen comrade, Hades summoned a two-pronged spear from thin air and hurled it at them.
BOOM!!!
A black beam of destructive energy cut through the space between them, obliterating the Gigantes in its path, leaving nothing behind but a void where they once stood.
CRACKLE... WHOOSH—
The devastating blast left a deep scar on the earth and split the clouds in the sky above. The Gigantes, who witnessed this, recoiled in horror.
"Gasp! Gah!"
"Screeee! What kind of god is that?!"
"This power...! Is he one of the Twelve Olympians? Ares? Hephaestus?"
"Nonsense! There’s no way..."
With Persephone safely behind him, Hades drove his chariot into the fray.
One by one, the Gigantes fell, their monstrous forms unable to withstand Hades' strikes. The moment he swung his spear, the Gigantes didn’t even see it coming. Their attacks, in turn, failed to leave a scratch on him.
NEIGH! SNORT!
The ghostly horses pulling the chariot trampled the lower bodies of the Gigantes, while the terrifying spear, infused with malevolent energy, left a trail of corpses in its wake.
SLASH! SPLAT!
"Grrr!"
"Eurytos! Let’s take him together!"
"You create an opening, Thoas!"
The Gigantes, desperate to create a diversion to unearth Typhon’s body, surrounded Hades' chariot. These were the three commanders Persephone had seen earlier.
Just as the goddess of spring was about to warn Hades of the danger, she noticed the cold smile playing on his lips.
SWOOSH—
Hades drove his two-pronged spear, the bident, into the ground. A massive rift opened, temporarily connecting the mortal world with the Underworld.
The air grew heavy as dark energy began to surge from the earth. Emerging from the seemingly endless fissure were soldiers of the Underworld.
Ghostly soldiers, with translucent bodies, armed with spears and swords, poured out in an unending stream.
"Damn it all! It’s Hades, the god of the Underworld!"
"Die, you wretch!"
"He’s one of the Three Great Gods, but he’s alone!"
"The dead won’t save you now!"
The Gigantes uprooted trees and swung their fists, trying to resist, but the soldiers of the Underworld continued to grow in number, seemingly endless.
Since the dawn of mankind, the number of souls in the Underworld had steadily increased. The spectral army, emanating the aura of death, successfully held back the Gigantes attempting to unearth Typhon's body.
"Peloreos! If we can take down Hades, we’ll win! Stay focused!"
"For Mother Gaia!"
As Hades retrieved his bident from the ground, a Gigantes, Thoas, swung a massive wooden club at his head. The blow was strong enough to shatter a mountain.
CLANG!
But Hades effortlessly blocked the attack with a single hand, drawing a black sword from his waist. The clash of divine forces created a deafening explosion that laid waste to the surroundings.
BOOM! CRASH!
Yet, in the midst of this chaos, Persephone, who was still riding behind Hades on the chariot, remained unharmed. She realized that despite the intensity of the battle, Hades had not allowed a single effective strike from the Gigantes.
'He’s toying with monsters that could rival the gods of Olympus...'
The Twelve Olympians included Zeus and Poseidon, but these gods were grouped with Hades as the Three Great Gods. Rumor had it that even if all twelve Olympians banded together, they couldn’t defeat one of the Three Great Gods.
As she recalled the playful stories she had heard while chatting with the nymphs, Persephone realized they were true.
After the battle began, Hades had been fighting with a cold smile. One of the Gigantes commanders, Eurytos, who was catching his breath, charged at Hades in a fit of rage.
"Don’t underestimate us, Hades!"
"Wait...! Eurytos! Don’t rush in...!"
SLASH— SPLAT!
But before Eurytos could land a blow, Hades’ black sword flashed, severing both of the Gigantes' arms. Eurytos collapsed to the ground, spraying golden blood as his body convulsed.
"Ugh... Ugh..."
"He’s even stronger than we thought...!"
Persephone had heard many rumors about the Lord of the Underworld. People speculated that, as the ruler of the dead, he must be grotesque and terrifying in appearance—a fitting image for the master of the Underworld.
She had never attended any of the Olympian banquets, so she had never seen him herself.
Despite the talk of him being a merciful god among mortals, she thought it was just a tale, an attempt to turn fear into faith. It wasn’t unusual for mortals to transform their fears into worship.
But now, Persephone understood that all those assumptions were wrong.
The gentle way he had saved her, holding her close. The strength that rivaled her father, Zeus. The careful attention he paid throughout the battle to ensure her safety.
And finally, despite what she had imagined, his face was not monstrous but rather cold and handsome, in a way that didn’t fit the ruler of the Underworld.
A quiet, awestruck whisper escaped Persephone’s lips.
"...He’s amazing..."